Saturday 26 February 2011

While at TED...

It's hard to not be inspired when you're at TED. (if you don't know what I'm on about, look it up www.ted.com)
It hasn't even started yet (first day monday) and already I am having to hold myself back from my plans... hold on Anna, just 3 more years, get your degree, then start.

I'm raring to go.

But WHERE do I start?

Ok, fast forward with me, three years from now. I will have almost finished my social work degree and qualification. I will have had 3 more years of experience, 3 more years worth of knowledge, and 3 years of pent up passion for music and musical healing.

What then?

I need to figure out the basics. What is the basic foundation of my plan, and how am I going to grow this thing?

So let's get things clear. This is what I want.

I want to combine the practical aid of a rehabilitation and mentor program with music training adopting a therapeutic approach. When I use the term 'music therapy', please be flexible with it. I'm not talking about giving a trauma victim a tambourine, tell them to tap out the rhythm and expect them to be all better. Come on. I'm not saying that music therapy is that at all. Music therapy is incredible, and there are so many people who have already found the healing benefits of it first hand. I am so excited to take part on this music therapy training course in the summer to learn more.

But no, what I'm merely saying is that MY approach to music therapy is going to be different. I want to put my clients under a fairly up tempo ('rigorous' is the wrong word but you get my drift) and exciting music training program, that shows purpose and drives the clients to reach to their full potential.

It is in doing well, succeeding and in reaching our potential that our confidence grows.
In an increase of confidence, we find an increase of self-belief, and hence drive to do well in other things... like life.

Music has this power, people don't give it enough credit. It can totally change a life. But I've got to put the work in. Watch this space 3 years from now. It'll be mental.

This is Emmanuel Jal. He was a boy soldier, a war child, and experienced pain like no one could belief. His TEDtalk is amazing. When he raps and dances later, it just backs up everything I am talking about. It'll shake you.

Emmanuel Jal: The music of a war child

Wednesday 23 February 2011

My People...

Introducing, the people I love the most.

Elizabeth, my amazing sister who knows what I'm thinking before I do. She's going to save the world.

Next up is my Mama and her husband Tim. Mum has always let me do whatever it is I feel I need to do. Whether I'm right or wrong, she'll let me learn my own lessons. She's an incredible painter too. Tim is a rock to us all.











My Dad, who helps me to dream big. And his wife Jacqueline, who has excellent taste in jewelry and furniture, and is currently solving the problem of poverty.





My boyfriend Harveer, who puts up with my freak outs and stresses as well as making me feel like the prettiest girl at the party.









And my incredible friends, who have taught me so much. You guys make me laugh and make me feel better. Love.







Much love to you all, and thank you for making me the person I am today.

X

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Create yeh?

So I got thinking about creativity, and what it means to be creative.

In a message I received recently, the writer was explaining how a burst of creativity had forced its way out of them in the middle of the night for just 5 minutes. They describe themselves as 'uncreative' generally but the product of their sudden inspiration was an incredibly poignant and beautiful poem that really struck a chord with me. The writer was a close friend of my recently passed sister, and was experiencing intense pain at the time.

This is what I'm talking about people.

Creativity is found in pain, sorrow and darkness. Yes, we can frolic around the meadows and sing about flowers if we like. A lot of what we hear on the radio is just that. It is happy and comfortable; feel-good. And that's ok. We need this kind of music too. And I expect if we ask some of those artists on the radio, they would say that singing makes them happy. And that can only be a good thing.

However, for the creator, their creation is their outlet. It is not only an imprint of themselves, but also of their experiences. And these can be painful experiences, horrific even. When we release that kind of pain for other people to witness and take part in, it makes us incredibly vulnerable and at further risk to hurt. But at the same time, it can be something beautiful. When I write, I want to put the experience into the song, fill it with my emotion, and then send it out.

This opens the box.

Yes I am now vulnerable to criticism and abuse, but I have also opened myself up to encouragement, support, love and appreciation. These are the things that heal. We can put our pain into a song, or a poem, or a piece of art, or anything! And we can say, yes I was in pain, I was vulnerable, and you can see it there in my creation, and you can judge and ridicule it as much as you like, but I have mastered it.

So people, whether you are creative or not, whether you have experienced heartbreak or grief or sorrow or anger or pain, don't be scared of the paper. Write, compose, draw, find a song or a poem or piece of art that really speaks to you and take time to feel what you're feeling. I cannot master my pain if I hide it from myself and pretend it's ok, because it's not ok. I have discovered that pain is not something we can just 'get over'. We have to master it. I find creation, in any form, an excellent way to do this.

Plus, that thing that you create; it will be awesome.

Much love x

Sunday 6 February 2011

My Dream...

So here's the thing...

Music heals. There is no doubt.

I was a pretty awkward kid, and a very angry teen. I didn't have much self confidence, and I was slightly overshadowed by my two beautiful and incredible sisters, who I love dearly.

I started singing at the age of 7, and started performing soon after. My confidence grew. People told me they liked my voice, they said I was talented, and I believed them. Naturally. Now I am a confident, bold young woman, with lots of excitement for the future. And I have to put that down to Music. So, thank you Music. You're awesome.

This realization got me thinking. There I was, a pretty average kid, growing up in a privileged society, with very few domestic and personal issues. I was very lucky. There are so many people, old and young alike who are not as lucky. They have experienced loss and hardship like I wouldn't believe. If music is healing for me, surely it could be healing for them too?

A few weeks ago, my world was thoroughly shaken. I found myself writing a song on the night that I found out that my beloved, beautiful and inspirational sister Zoe had tragically passed away. I was in agonizing pain and grief, and in that raw emotion, I was able to write one of the best songs I've ever written. I sang 'Let it Be' by the Beatles at the funeral, and the only reason I was able to is because the music was healing me. It is spiritual and emotional medicine, and it helped me through the worst time of my life like nothing else could.

Everyone loves music. Some love to play and sing, to perform, to compose, to listen, to dance... everyone loves music. There's no doubt. My dream is to start an organization that combines the healing power of music (in whatever form that is) with practical help for people who have suffered trauma; so that includes drug abuse, sex abuse, homelessness, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and all other things beside.

Music is so powerful. It can reduce us to tears, make us dance like there's no tomorrow, shake us to our core. And it heals. This is my dream. To harness that power, and bring it to those who need it.

This coming September, I will be starting a Social Work and Social Policy Degree at the University of Nottingham. Very exciting. The cool thing is, is that in 3 years I'll be a qualified social worker, able to work in any field in the social sector; able to make a difference.
I am also going to be taking part in a music therapy training course at the Nordoff Robbins centre in London this summer to try and pursue this further.
If you have any tips or knowledge in how I can equip myself for my challenge, please don't hesitate to get in contact.

Cheers x

So. It begins.

First blog post.
How exciting.
This is me introducing... me.
I am 20 years old. I like to sing. A lot.
I am a well meaning but lazy person; "I want to change the world, instead I sleep" is the perfect way to sum me up. (Lyric from Ingrid Michaelson's 'Keep Breathing'... excellent song)
I love my bed.
I like food, but currently shunning it in an Atkins style diet.. going by the book "India and Neris' idiot proof diet". I'm on day 5. It's going well. Soon I shall be a skinny bean. Hah. Let's just see shall we.
I like to cook.
I have a wonderful family.
I have a wonderful boyfriend who loves me and makes me very happy.. even when I'm a b*tch to him.
I have amazing friends, who all bring such diversity, colour, excitement, love and laughter to my world.
This goes out to them. And to all who support me in my never ending quest to make a little difference.